Disability Support Services (DSS), CSU, Chico

When Meeting a Person with a Disability

1. Speak directly to the person. Explore your mutual interests. The conversation need not be limited to issues of disability. Anyone can become disabled.
2. Persons with disabilities are usually accustomed to their disability and accommodations. If you do not know what to say, allow the person with the disability to help put you at ease.
3. When you are unsure if a person with a disability needs assistance, ask. For example, before you push someone’s wheelchair, ask if assistance is needed and how to proceed. A wheelchair is part of a person’s physical space and should be treated with respect.
4. It is proper to address a hearing-impaired person (via an interpreter) directly by speaking in first person, e.g., “Did you finish your report?”
5. Speak naturally to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or to those who have difficulty processing speech. Look directly at the person. Use paper and pencil if necessary.
6. Consider the time it may take for a person with a disability to say or do things. Let the person set the pace for talking, walking, etc. When possible, ask questions that can be answered with a yes or no response if the student has difficulty speaking.
7. Allow the student the same privacy as other students. Avoid pointing out the student or the accommodation arrangements to the rest of the class.
8. When a student uses a service animal, it is important to understand that it is a working animal rather than a pet and should be left alone.